In celebration of Halloween today, I will count down the top 5 horror movie themes. Check them out, let me know what you think of them.
5. Jaws by John Williams
I love John Williams, he has composed some of the most classics scores and movie soundtracks for over 30 years. One of his most famous songs is the theme for the movie "Jaws". The way it builds up and creates a sense of unease is very effective. When ever you hear this song, you can't help but to be on alert and wonder what is coming. It makes you be on your guard and it makes the movie feel that much more intense.
4. Psycho (1960) by Bernard Herrmann
I love Psycho, it is without a doubt a classic movie. While Alfred Hitchcock certainly deserves credit for how he directed this movie, the soundtrack for this movie is also very brilliant and this theme song, written by Bernard Herrmann demonstrates that. This is without a doubt some of the most spooky music I have ever heard out of a movie, even by today's standards. The way it starts alone makes you feel like you should be running for your life and constantly watching your back. One of the greatest themes ever, even today.
3. Rosemary's Baby by Krzysztof Komeda
This one doesn't have a huge orchestra like the previous ones do but my goodness that La La La. Every time I hear that, it scares the heck out of me. This song is a good example that you don't have to be so big and loud to be scary. Just the way the voice is executed in this song makes it ones of the creepiest things to listen to.
2. Halloween by John Carpenter
The piano in this song is creepy enough, but the way that all the other instruments come in and then fade out gives off a great tone of unease and uncertainty. This formula makes you feel scared while at the same time letting you know to expect the unexpected which is how this movie plays out. This theme resembles the movie it is attached to perfectly.
1. Candyman by Philip Glass
What makes this song so interesting is that it doesn't sound simply scary like the rest. When listening to this song you get a combination of soothing, sadness, and scary. It is confusing, yet still sounds good and well executed. I like this because it really makes you uncertain of what your in for and that is one of the scariest feelings in the world. When you watch the movie, then this theme makes more sense because you realize that your dealing with a movie that is more complex then your standard horror film movie. Because this song makes you think more and because it is able to combine so many moods and still sound good that I make this song number 1.
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Walt Disney is a legend in America and the world. He is considered the man who took animation to the mainstream and rightfully so. With his iconic movies like Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, and Snow White, the first ever full length animated movie. Walt Disney was ground breaking in animation and was the one who proved that you could do more then just 5 minute shorts and could do great stories with it. One of Walt Disney's biggest boosts to his fame is how he used music in his movies.
Part of the reason that music was so important to Walt Disney was because that was the only audio he had to work with at first. See, back in the 20's films were just starting to come out of the silent movie era thanks to The Jazz Singer in 1927, "which was the first movie to have synchronized sound". Before that, the only way to keep your audience engaged was with music. Granted it typically wasn't much, many times it was just a piano being played in the theater while the movie was on, but because there was some form of audio to go with it, the audience kept their attention on it. Animation was no exception, music was the audio driving force to keep the audience is attention.
When The Jazz Singer came out, Walt decided to use this new technique of synchronized sound to create his Steam Boat Willie. Now, while this short had more sound effects then in the past, music was still what kept the audience engaged because it had a flow that kept the show moving forward. Without music, the short would have been more dull and less interesting. For Walt though, he never really saw this as a problem, in fact he saw more opportunity in it and it became a staple in his shorts and movies.
In 1937 Walt Disney made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This movie is credited for being the first full length animated movie. Along with that, this movie was also the first in something else. It was also the first movie to make its soundtrack commercially to the public. The soundtrack contained 8 songs on the soundtrack and for the first time, people could purchase it. The downside for Walt though was that since he did not have his own music company at the time, the rights for the songs went to Bourne CO. Disney wouldn't have their own music label until 1949.
Even though Walt Disney didn't owned his own music, it didn't stop him from making it a major part of his movies. He would continue his musical formula in his follow up movie, Pinocchio in 1940. Just like Snow White, Walt worked to make catchy music stuck out just as much as the animation. The film would end up winning an academy award for best score, and the song, When You Wish Upon a Star, would become a Disney Anthem. Even today, this song is still a Disney staple that is recognized all over the world.
After Pinocchio, Walt decided to take a new approach and instead of making music revolve around his movie, he made his movie revolve around music. This would lead to the creation of one of my favorite Disney movies, Fantasia. Fantasia is a series of shorts where Walt took classic big orchestra songs and made animation to go with the songs in the movie. This movie would have some classic scenes such as "A Night On Bald Mountain", a dark song about demons partying in the night. It was then followed by the beautiful, peaceful "Ave Maria", a peaceful song that Disney used to illustrate darkness being defeated and a new sun rising from it. The most popular song though is " The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This scene was considered to have the best combination of all the other scenes. The song was good, the animation matched the song perfectly and the concept with Mickey Mouse wanting to learn magic would be what got people to say that Disney is magical.
Sadly, shortly after Fantasia, World War 2 broke out and this created many problems for Walt Disney. in order to gain support for the war, the government turned to entertainment to make propaganda to make people hate the Nazi's and Japan. Walt Disney was not exempt from this. However, unlike how some people say that Walt was a willing participant in making this propaganda, that really isn't true. What really happened was that the government came and took control of his studio. The animators were to make nothing but shorts depicting the war. To add on to Walt's problems, he wasn't allowed to release any full length movies. The only movies he could release were Packaged Films. These were basically collections of old and some new shorts. One of these packaged films actually contains one of my favorite shorts, Father Noah's Ark. A short musical story about Noah and the Ark.
One of the packaged films that contained new shorts was Saludos Amigos. This movie was a series of shorts inspired by Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil. Along with the locations, Walt also used a lot of their music as inspiration for this film. The most famous scene in this movie is Aquarela do Brasil. This short has a short but very catchy song used to illustrate the parrot, Jose Carioca, teaching Donald Duck about South America. Surprisingly, this movie would go on to wing 3 academy awards.
Once the war ended, Walt was able to get to doing what he loved doing most, great animated musicals. The movie, Cinderella would his first post war animated movie. This was the first movie that was published musically under Walt Disney Records. By this time, Walt Disney finally secured his own record label that gave him full rights and full control over his music. This soundtrack would produce some classic Disney songs such as "A Dream is a Wish Your Heat Makes", and the popular, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo. Clearly, the Walt Disney Everybody loved was back.
After Cinderalla, Walt continued to make great musical movies until his death in 1966. The last movie that he oversaw was "The Jungle Book". The Jungle Book is a movie with many classic songs including, "I Want to Be Like You", and Trust in Me. However, the biggest song off this soundtrack is "Bare Necessities". This song has become a Disney staple you hear all over Disney radio and referenced in Disney Parks. Walt Disney did a great job on his last project and this soundtrack shows that.
As you can see, Walt Disney wasn't just a man who was innovative in terms of animation, he also knew how to make music work for his movies very well. He had a lot of appreciation for music and ended up creating a classic formula. This is formula that is still being used in Disney movies today such as Tangled and Enchanted. While there are other great animated musicals outside of Disney, Walt Disney developed this formula and if any of these other movies makers are being honest, they were inspired by Disney. RIP Walt Disney, you truly were a man of many talents.
When 2017 ends the Beauty and the Beast remake will be remembered as one of the biggest movies of the year. Grossing over 503 million dollars and having spent an estimated 160 million dollars, this is without a doubt a very successful movie financially. Even with the movies success, there is still a lot of debating about whether the 1991 version, or the 2017 version is better. The biggest debate is over which movies soundtrack was better. In this post I am going to give my two cents on that debate.
The first thing I would like to talk about is what's good in the 1991 version. The 1991 version is very solid and well organized. Alan Menken did a fantastic job composing and writing this soundtrack. Musically, the orchestra is very good and just as catchy as the vocals in some of the songs. Two examples that come to mind are Belle and Tale As Old As Time. Both songs start off with very catchy intros that hook you before the vocals even come in. This is something is very overlooked when people talk about this movies soundtrack. While the vocal work is amazing and certainly worthy of the praise it has received, without well constructed music to go with the vocals, the songs won't flow and could derive into a sloppy mess. Like I said, the vocal work is fantastic and very well executed. Everybody gives it their all, their singing voices are authentic with no work done to in production to enhance their voice.
My favorite songs of this version are Be Our Guest and Tale As Old As Time. Jerry Orbach does a great job vocally in this song. He has the most fun sounding voice out of everybody else and he showcases it very well in this song. The way he pronounces the lyrics in this song is a one of a kind and out of everybody else, he is the only one who can do it this way. The music is also very fun and catchy. The rhythm patterns in this song really play well to Jerry Orbach's voice and add to the fun feel this song goes for. Tale As Old As Time is a good ballad that really brings the movies story together. Lyrically, this song does a great job of summarizing the movie in a way that the listener can really take it in and enjoy. The music for this songs is more simple then Be Our Guest, but it is still very memorable and really gets you into the song before the vocals start. Vocally, where Jerry Orbach could only sing Be Our Guest, Tale As Old As Time is that for Angela Lansburry. She carries this song very well and out of everybody else, she is the best fit for it. Her voice fits the theme and mood very well, and really enhances the listener to take in the lyrics.
When it comes to the 2017 version they really tried to expand the soundtrack. They added some more songs and in some cases stretched out the original ones. Overall, the cast does a good job singing in this movie and really carry the songs well. Luke Evans and Dan Stevens really deliver well on their songs and add a good spin that separates it from the original. However, while certainly adding new elements, they do a lot to stay true to the original movie as well. Considering the big task they had to live up to the original, they did pretty well.
My favorite songs of this version are Gaston and Evermore. Luke Evans does a great job singing in this version, he sounds confident and really gives it his all. As far as the music goes, I actually like it better in this version then in the original. It does a great job building up and getting louder and adding more energy as the song goes on. Then, in this version they added that instrumental section where the orchestra really takes off and lets loose and it sounds really energetic and well structured. By far my favorite song musically in this version of the movie. Evermore is a great addition to the soundtrack. Lyrically, it does a good job of telling what is going through the beasts mind and how he realizes what he has been missing all his life. Dan Stevens does a great job vocally, he sounds good and really captures the mood well. The orchestra in this song is very good. The energy from the music and the big orchestra sound really impacts the listener and helps to really drive the message into the person listening to the song.
When it comes to mistakes in the 1991 version they really are few and far between. They did a lot to make sure they got it right and for the most part they did. The only noticeable mistakes that pop out to me is that sometimes the cast might try a little to hard and in a few songs, they added some dialogue that was simply filler and wasn't needed. Gaston in the original sounded a little over the top a few times and while I get that has to do with his character it was still distracting and could take away from the experience. With the filler, in a few songs like the Mob Song, they through dialogue in the middle of the song to stretch it out and I feel like it wasn't needed. Other then that, the mistakes aren't too bad.
When it comes to the 2017 version they have a few mistakes as well. This movie also suffers from the problem of adding filler as well. One form of this is in some unneeded songs, like the Maurice song. It was one of those songs they didn't need, they could have introduced him without it and ultimately it didn't move the plot forward much. The other form appears in the form of unneeded dialogue. In the Gaston Song where Lefou tries to spell Gaston's name and says he's illiterate it is mainly used to stretch out the song. It was supposed to be funny but it wasn't delivered well and just makes people wonder why they threw it in there. The major problem with this version though is vocal effects on Emma Watson's voice. Emma Watson is a good actress and does a great job acting in this movie but because of the auto tune, it sounds like she really can't sing. She doesn't sound good in this movie because they tried to hide her voice with auto tune instead of being authentic like a musical should be. To be clear, I don't think this is her fault. Blame for this belongs to the people in the studio and editing room. They probably noticed that she wasn't hitting notes correctly and instead having her do another take and push her to be better, they took shortcuts to save time and/or nitpick and try to be perfect. If they weren't happy with her take they should have pushed her and do another take or get someone else to sing and then have Emma Watson lip sync. It wouldn't have been her singing, but it would have sounded authentic, which a musical like this needs to be.
Both versions overall are good, but ultimately I have to go with the classic. One of the reason's is because the original is more solid and more well constructed then the remake. The remake has a lot of good songs but it doesn't flow as well as the original does and that hurts it a little. The other is the auto tune on Emma Watson. Because the auto tune doesn't make her sound good when singing it really hurts the soundtrack. Considering that she is lead in the beginning and a has at least one more solo song after that, it really becomes distracting as really hurts the soundtrack. Had the studio not decided to take shortcuts, it could've been much better and may have actually been better then the original. Instead, they took the easy way out and hurt their own product. Because of that, the original is better.
Nightmare Before Christmas has become a classic in Disney's movie archive. Having spent 18 million dollars on it and getting a 75 million dollar return, this is truly a great Disney success story. This movie also has one of the most classic Disney songs of all times, This is Halloween. This is Halloween is without a doubt the movies biggest songs. It has been considered by many a Halloween staple and has been covered by many band and artists such as Marilyn Manson, Panic at The Disco, and many other bands world wide. However, while This is Halloween is an amazing song, there are so many other great songs this movie has to offer. With that, lets dive into the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.
Composed and written by Danny Elfman, this movie's soundtrack has dark, creepy music while at the same time containing fun, cheerful songs. What's great about this soundtrack is that despite having some many songs that are polar opposites they still sound great and they still flow. The main reason for that is that Elfman keeps it simple. The majority of the songs are not over the top yet catchy to where everybody can appreciate them. This really has to do with the fact that the concept of combining Christmas and Halloween together is complex in and of itself. When you try to combine two elements that are total opposites you can really just ended up creating something that gives people a headache and turn them off to it. Tim Burton knew this when he was writing this movie and Danny Elfman made sure to carry that when he wrote this soundtrack. Elfman decided to keep it simple so that people could enjoy the concept more then the individual songs.
While a lot of soundtracks also focus on the concept heavily as well, they typically try to incorporate their own sound and tricks into the songs to make them unique. You see this in many John Williams, Randy Edelman big orchestra soundtracks, or musical soundtracks such as Tarzan written by Phil Collins and Lion King written by Elton John. The reason they can do that is because the concepts they are working with are very focused and as a result they have more room to experiment with musically. Danny Elfman didn't have that and as a result couldn't be to experimental. However, the fact that was able to make the songs catchy is a huge accomplishment when you have so little room to be creative.
While the song This is Halloween may be the biggest hit off this soundtrack, there are many good songs that this movie has to offer. Another good song is Kidnap the Sandy Claws. This song is in my opinion the creepiest on the soundtrack. With the creepy singing voices of the kids and the lyrics describing what they want to do to Santa when they catch him, this song is super dark. The most creepy part of this song is actually the La La La part at the beginning of the song. The creepy voices of the kids makes you feel uneasy more then some adult voices. It actually feels more scary to hear this intro on Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion then the normal one, it is that effective. This is a song not to over look.
My favorite song off this soundtrack though is the song that introduces the Christmas concept called What's This. This is the first joyful song we hear on the soundtrack and while it comes out of no where initially it still fits perfectly with the scene it is associated with. The lyrics perfectly explain what is going on through Jack's head as he is investigating this new land he has discovered and it makes you want to explore with him. The music is in my opinion the more catchy then most other songs on this soundtrack. The reason I think that is because way the music and voice flow together well and creates the most unique sound in this soundtrack. The burst of energy during the verse really catches your attention and hooks you in a way most other songs don't in the soundtrack. This is one song that is a must for me.
What makes this soundtrack so great is that even though it is simple it is still very catchy and enjoyable. Danny Elfman does a great job being creative even though he didn't have a concept that allowed him a lot of creative room. This a case of being able to do more with less and delivering one of the most famous soundtracks in Disney history. I highly recommend buying every song on this soundtrack and actually buying a physical CD if you find one. With simple, yet catchy music, this one soundtrack you need to check out.
When it comes to the Quest for Camelot movie, it is considered by most people to not be that great a movie. From a story that isn't memorable to a protagonist that isn't considered that great, the movie did not do well at the box office. Warner Bros. spent 40 million dollars on the movie only to see the movie gross 22 million dollars, not a success story by any stretch of the imagination. However, one thing that people did take away from the movie and talk about was the movies soundtrack. Depending who you talk to it was either a master piece with great songs, or was a sloppy mess that made no sense. For me, it is somewhere in the middle.
The first thing I would like to point out is that this soundtrack does have some very good songs. The one that everybody remembers is The Prayer by Celine Dion. This song would become a big hit for Celine Dion, it was played on many radio stations, and covered and performed by many singers. During the movie they show it during the chase scene where the main protagonist, Kayley is escaping. Due to the fact that is supposed to be the mother singing, they cut out the male vocal section that is sung by Andrea Bocelli. I view it as a brief introduction to the song, so that when you listen to the full song you get a better experience. Both singers do a fantastic job and the flow is smooth to create a very relaxing and pleasant experience.
The second song I would like to address is my personal favorite song, I Stand Alone, sung by Bryan White. Bryan White does a great job singing in this song, he sounds great, he sounds energetic, and he really pours all he has into the song and delivers a great performance. The music is a great orchestra set that sounds big and powerful and really adds to the energy of the song. This song is used for the character Garrett to explain to Kayley why she can't join him on his journey. The visuals shown in the movie are great. It goes well with the music and doesn't really derail you from it. Some people get on the movies case for showing all the special plants with no explanation, but I don't let that get to me. I personally view it as a music video within the movie as has been done with many Disney animated movies of the time. Some that come to mind are Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast and Son of Man from Tarzan. These scenes have a real music video feel to them, but it doesn't take away from the movie.
However, while this movie has some good songs, it all has a lot of songs that are not great and some that are bad. One song that I really don't like is Ruber's Song. Gary Oldman is a good actor but the guy cannot sing. He tries but he comes off as obnoxious and annoying in some parts, while in other parts he sounds like he tries to hard and he cant deliver the melody well. Another song I really don't care for is If I Didn't Have You. The first problem is that musically, this song sounds really out of place. While the majority of the soundtrack has more of orchestra or soft song that fits the time period the move is set in, this song is set in more modern times and it doesn't blend well. The vocals in the song are not great, these guys clearly cannot sing and don't deliver well on the melody. I get that it is supposed to be a comical song, but even a comical song has to have a good melody and with out that the song isn't funny and doesn't make me laugh.
One of the biggest problems with this soundtrack is how some of the songs don't impact the story to help move it forward. Some songs don't match the scenes they are in and some come out of nowhere. This is a problem because a musical is supposed to be like a concept record that tells a movies story through music but so many songs are mismatched, or made pointless by the next scene that the concept flow is lost. One example is the scene that prayer is used in. This is a soft song used in an action scene where Kayley is being chased and having weapons shot at her. This is a scene where we should feel tension, not relaxation, and as a result the song doesn't hit the way it should. This is also a problem with Ruber's song. You don't really see the song coming and while watching you start to ask yourself if it is really necessary. This also happens with Through Your Eyes. Through Your Eyes is not a bad song but because there was not set up for it and it came unexpectedly you don't really appreciate it like you should.
This is not a totally bad soundtrack. Like I said earlier, there are some really good songs on it. However, with there not being a good flow and some bad songs, it really takes away from the soundtrack making it not have as big an impact on the movie as many Disney movies it was competing with did. Many of these songs would be great on their own but as a soundtrack they don't hold up. With this soundtrack it all depends what you are looking for. If you are looking into this for some good songs, then you will be happy, but if you are looking for a soundtrack with a good flow you are going to be disappointed.
I love to watch a good war movie. When it is done right, war movies are some of the most emotional and intense movie experiences ever. War movies also have some of the best movie soundtracks I have ever heard. Typically containing a great orchestra composition and arrangement that gives each movie soundtrack it's unique sound. Here are the top 5 war movie soundtracks.
5. The Alamo (1960)
This movie alone was really great and I highly recommend it to anybody. John Wayne did a great job directing the movie and acting as the legendary Davy Crockett. However, the soundtrack composed and arranged by Dimitri Tiomkin is also very amazing. He does a great job of not just making great music, but really capturing the atmosphere and the time period the movie takes place in. When you listen to it you feel like your in Texas in the early 1800's when it was still a Mexican territory. He also does a great job of matching each song to the scene it was being used for. If it was a battle scene the music is fast pace and intense. If it is a soft emotional scene, the music was toned down perfectly to match it. With a soundtrack that captures each scene of the movie it is attached to, it is no wonder that this would be one of the top movie soundtracks of 1960. This soundtrack is available on ITunes and you can also get a physical copy on Amazon or Ebay if you choose. Get it how you wish but buy it and listen to it.
4. Braveheart
Braveheart is without a doubt one of the most legendary movies ever made. Mel Gibson did a great job directing and acting in it and as a result it is considered on of the best movies in history. One of the biggest factors to the movies success is the soundtrack composed by James Horner. James Horner does a great job of creating great music with a good Scottish feel to it. He also creates some of the most catchy music that really helps the movie to stick to people after they are done watching. Along with all that, Braveheart has one of the most emotional soundtracks I have every heard. Every song you hear really connects you to the emotion in the movie and it really sticks with you. The soundtrack is available on ITunes, and Amazon, don't think twice, get it.
3. Glory
Glory is a great American Civil War movie that touches on African Americans during the war. This soundtrack is another James Horner master piece. In this movie, Horner decided to do an orchestra and quire vocal combination that is delivered very well. While there are not vocals in every song on the soundtrack, it really sticks out when it appears. The best example is the Assault on Fort Wagner song. The use of the vocals in this song really adds to the intensity of the battle taking place and it really gets you more engaged in the scene. When you are not watching the moving, this song is still able to communicate that feeling very well and that is what makes a great movie soundtrack. Don't overlook the orchestra though. James Horner did a great job composing the music and each orchestra piece sounds amazing. This soundtrack is not available on ITunes, but you can buy a physical copy on Amazon and Ebay. Trust me, it is worth buying.
2. The Patriot
The Patriot is great movie about the American Revolution. This movie is another Mel Gibson master piece, great acting, and great directing from him. This movie was fortunate to have the great John Williams compose and arrange the music on it. John Williams did fantastic work with movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park. He continues to carry that into The Patriot. John Williams does a great job of using great orchestra music, as he has done for most of his movies, and also making music that really captures the time period. When you listen to some of these songs, you feel like your in the 1700's and in the Revolutionary war. Along with all this, John Williams manages to compose music that fits each scene in the movie and really captures what scene is about. Sadly, only the theme song is available on ITunes. However, you can buy a physical copy on Amazon or Ebay, and I highly recommend you do.
1. Gettysburg
Gettysburg is one of my one of my favorite war movies. It does a great job of telling the story of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. I can't recommend this one enough. Along with that is the amazing work of composer Randy Edelman. Randy Edelman composes some of the most intense and impressive orchestra music I have heard in a war movie. Every battle song feels intense and makes you think your in the action, while there are plenty of good soft songs that make you lay back and think. Edelman also has some good songs that capture the time period with the use of acoustic guitar and banjo in some songs. This soundtrack also has a good inspirational, driven feel to it. Almost every song has an inspiration feel that makes you want to press on no matter the obstacle. One song that comes to mind the March of Mortality song. It makes you feel like no matter what the situation is you need to try. This is one movie soundtrack that I like every song on and I cannot recommend it enough. The soundtrack is available on Itunes, Amazon, and Ebay. Do whatever it takes, but buy it, listen to it, and enjoy it.
